HOUSTON — It seems just a matter of time before Carlos Correa is wearing a different uniform.
Much like when former teammate George Springer hit the free-agent market last offseason and there was little thought of him returning to the Astros, Correa will be even more sought after and high-priced this offseason.
Springer signed a six-year, $150 million deal with the Blue Jays, and because Correa’s new deal could be worth twice that amount, he’s almost certain to leave, meaning another piece of Houston’s core will be headed elsewhere.
How that impacts Houston’s closest competitors remains to be seen.
Correa just turned 27 and will be the best shortstop — and player — on the market.
Some see Correa as a perfect fit for a Yankees team in need of a shortstop, with Gleyber Torres destined for second base.
But there are questions about whether the Yankees are ready to commit to another mega-deal to go along with the ones they already owe Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton — and with Aaron Judge a year away from free agency if he doesn’t sign an extension this offseason.
Bigger than that issue, is the fact Correa was one of the centerpieces of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal during their 2017 World Series title run. Current members of the Yankees who were part of the organization at the time — including Judge — might be hard-pressed to see Correa in The Bronx, regardless of his talent.
Wherever Correa winds up, the Astros will be one more piece away from the scandal that tarnished their ’17 title.
As long as Jose Altuve is in Houston, though, fans will no doubt remind the Astros of their past, especially at Yankee Stadium.
Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel will also be around to boo, but Correa has been as important as anyone to Houston’s recent run of success.
The top pick of the 2012 amateur draft, Correa helped remake the Astros’ image, which has resulted in a lot of wins — and even more scrutiny.
At times, Correa has said the aftermath of their garbage-can-banging scandal hasn’t impacted the 2021 team. But he admitted after their ALCS win over the Red Sox that winning again would mean more because of what’s happened since MLB and the public learned after the 2019 season that Houston cheated two years earlier.
Correa bounced back from a subpar 2020 season, in which he had just a .709 OPS in 58 games in the COVID-shortened year, with a solid 2021.
He finished with an OPS of .850 and played in 148 games, the most Correa had appeared in since 2016, when he played in 153 games.
The Astros have proven they are capable of finding new talent when an All-Star leaves, as they showed with Springer, but losing Correa in his prime would have more of an impact.
Correa entered Tuesday’s Game 6 with 59 career postseason RBIs — sixth all time — and two behind Derek Jeter and David Ortiz for fourth-most in postseason history.